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Thursday, June 11 2020
VOL. NINETY SIX,  Issue 50
 
Tom Pierson & T'wina Nobles
The business world was rocked in mid-March when the Stay Home order took effect to protect the community from the COVID-19 crisis. Now, just as those restrictions are starting to be lifted, the community is suddenly -- and finally -- confronting the bigger, deeper crisis of systemic racism. Thousands of people in the greater Tacoma area have participated in protests for nearly two weeks. Just as our communities have rallied to address the COVID-19 crisis, they are also rallying to support the Black community, including Black-owned businesses. Tom Pierson, president of the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber of Commerce, and T'wina Nobles, president of the Tacoma Urban League, have been working to provide resources to help businesses. They will do a joint presentation to offer some highlights of what's available and what they're learning during this journey.  
 
 
Time: June 11, 2020 12:10 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
 
To join the meeting this week cut and paste the address below into your browser
 
 
We will also be streaming the video using Facebook Live on our Private Facebook page. 
 
If you haven't joined our private page here is  the link
 
Meeting ID: 976 2087 3962
 
Please only use this phone in number if you do not have computer audio  253.215.8782

Statement from Rotary International

At Rotary, we have no tolerance for racism. Promoting respect, celebrating diversity, demanding ethical leadership, and working tirelessly to advance peace are central tenets of our work.

We have more work to do to create more just, open and welcoming communities for all people.

We know there are no easy fixes and that challenging conversations and work lie before all of us. Rotary’s strength has long been our ability and commitment to bringing people together. We will tap into that strength now as we stand with those who are working for peace and justice. 

Rotary will do our part to listen, learn and take action to ensure that we continue to contribute to making positive change.

UPCOMING MEETINGS
 
June 18
Honoring our Scholarship Winners
 
June 25 
Turnover - From Carol to Kathryn
 
July 2
Kathryn's first meeting!
THANK YOU TO THIS WEEK'S MEETING SPONSOR - Maria Harlow for Bryan Flint
 
To empower Pierce County residents to achieve their financial dreams through an integrated model of coaching and counseling to secure personal financial security.  
Your Dollars at Work 
Your International Services Committee works hard throughout the year to invest in International Projects that allow us to stretch our contribution through the use of matching grants.  We recently joined with the lead club of Gig Harbor and donated $5,000 towards a grant in Guatemala that is part of an $100,000 effort to bring clean water to poor villages, changing and saving the lives of the local residents.
There is no year round source of clean water in three villages.  One village, Santa Eulalia, in addition to no source of clean water, lacks sanitary latrines. Each village is different in terms of solutions.  In Santa Eulalia concrete water tanks will be constructed to collect water from roof runoff,  latrines will also be constructed.  Convdonga will receive plastic collection tanks to receive water runoff and Xaxmoxan will have a spring fed water system in which distribution lines will reach each home location. All villages will receive hygiene training as well as training in maintaining the water systems.
Saturday Sorting at St. Vinnies
St. Vincent de Paul is in need of volunteers to help sort through donations. They have an abundance of product and need assistance to help sort so they can open the store and serve persons in need of affordable clothing and household goods.
Volunteers are needed Saturday June 27th from 10 am – 1 pm
 
Additional details:
  • Background check required.
  • Volunteers must be at least 16 years old.
  • PPE and hand sanitizer will be provided for volunteers. Social distancing measures are in place.
 
If you have any questions or are interested in volunteering, please email volunteer@svdptacoma.org or contact Jim Whitacre at  whit@wamail.net
Little Free Library Installation Last Week
Special thanks to Jennifer Wedderman, John Schneider and Dane Meyer for the repair work and installation of the library last week.  
 
For those of you still looking for ways to serve here are some resources for volunteer opportunities for COVID -19 relief
Let us know what you decide to do and we can share with others who may want to join you (virtually, of course).
 
THANK YOU, to all of our members who have quickly sent checks or emailed us instructions to bill your credit cards on file! (we can wait until July 1 to run your card if that is your wish) Although the invoice offered a pay online option, we do not have that set up at this time.  Dues remain the same as last year and given the stresses that many are facing we want to work with you on a payment plan if needed. We want each and every one of you to help us remain a strong and vibrant club. Please let us know right away if you have not received an invoice. 
MEETING VOLUNTEERS 
 
Meeting Moderator- Chris Serface
Reflection- Emily Mendez-Bryant
National Anthem  & 4 Way Test- Jeremy Simler
Meeting Sponsor - Maria Harlow
Storywriter- Stephen Deal
 
WANT TO HELP AT A MEETING?
Please contact Kathi to volunteer 
--Leading the National Anthem & Four Way Test
--Giving the Moment of Reflection
--Assisting with Audio/Visual
--Greeter and Roving Mic
--Sponsoring a meeting
--Check in Assistant
 
Birthdays This Week
 
Lori Harnick - Jun 08
Shon Sylvia - Jun 08
Bill Pickles - Jun 10
Jack Warnick - Jun 11
Jim Merritt - Jun 13
 
Anniversaries to Celebrate
 
John Pfaff - 5 years  
Sandi Wollum - 12 years
Peter Carlstrom - 19 years  
David Flentge - 23 years
Reflections from the 5/28 meeting by Jeremy Fogelquist
The meeting began promptly at 12:12pm with Chris Serface, meeting moderator, welcoming everyone to today's meeting and briefly explaining how today's meeting will commence.  It was such a joy to see all 92 Rotarian's and guests smiling faces. (okay so some had dark screens, but that's how many joined us on Zoom and I hear another 20 on Facebook live)  It is such a blessing to see everyone despite everything that is going on.  President Carol Duris rang Scarlett's bike bell to kick off the meeting and thanked members for joining us.
Carol Webster provided a wonderful invocation about the exchange students and the importance of treating people equally with dignity and respect.  President Carol Duris then announced that we're blessed today to have a fresh approach to our national anthem.  Our very own Sharon Chambers Gordon of Windermere Real Estate and Raising Girls sang for us the Black National Anthem, first performed at a birthday party for Abraham Lincoln in 1900.  As we listened to the words and followed along with the words on the slide we were asked to keep in mind that the first verse opens with a command to optimism, praise and freedom: Followed by the second verse reminding us to never forget the suffering and obstacles of the past and the final stanza which is so appropriate at this time because it is about the challenges of the future; they are to be met with perseverance, courage, faith, and trust.  This song allows us to acknowledge all of the brutalities and inhumanities that came with enslavement and continues today with disenfranchisement, police brutality, dispossession of health care, education and other resources.  What is profound is that this song reveals that there is a still a hopeful future yet to come.  Sharon then led us through the 4 way test.  After the 4 way test President Carol Duris, introduced Greer Todhunter for the meeting sponsor announcement. Greer Todhunter, Salvation Army, thanked Gil Quante, N2Publishing .  The Salvation Army has been distributing food for their neighbors that have a need and cannot come to the foodbank due to everything that is going on right now.
President Carol Duris invited everyone to check out the anniversaries as we had some milestone anniversaries this week; Monique Valenzuela - 1 year, Chris Serface - 6 years, Anthony Chen - 11 years, Dean Hanks - 15 years, Mark Anderson - 17 years, Gil Quante - 20 years cumulative,   Ross Hjelseth - 24 years, Richard Jamison - 30 years, Jamie Will - 45 years and John C Dimmer - 59 years.
Carol then rocked out as she announced the birthday celebrants.  The birthday question was, how have Stay at Home orders impacted you?  Linda Kaye - increased physical activity through walking and son has become her personal trainer, Jack Warnick - staying safe by staying home and working on unfinished projects around the house, Enid Harris - practicing proper social distancing with family, Cynthia Darland - slowed life down a lot and is spending more time walking and spending time with dear friends, Jim Merritt - entire family is staying safe by doing family drive throughs, Stacey Ogle - reassessing her busy life style and working efficiently from home while spending a lot of time with family
President Carol Duris then introduced, Michael Thompson, who introduced our speaker, David Bean, Chairman of the Puyallup Tribe.  David has served on the Puyallup Tribal Council for 14 years.  He graduated from the University of Puget Sound in 1992 with a degree in business and public administration and after college worked for the Puyallup Tribe’s economic development arm and as a small-business owner.  In 2006, he won election to the Puyallup Tribal Council, the Tribe’s seven-member governing body, and in June 2019 accepted the chairmanship.  David also serves as vice chairman of the National Indian Gaming Association and is active with other Indian associations.  He participates regularly in cultural activities such as drumming, singing, dancing and language classes, and he continues the fishing tradition he learned as a child by participating in Tribal fisheries as a diver harvesting geoducks.
David talked about how the Tribal community expresses stories through their artwork whether it's woodworking, painting or weaving.  He explained one of the Tribe's core values, our way is sharing and caring, a greedy man will lose everything in the end.  He then explained how their wealth is established through what they share and not what they have.  Another one of the Tribe's core values is to be kind, be helpful and be sharing.  He discussed the Tribe's history, economic impact on the surrounding area, importance of Tribal gaming, and the impact that the COVID pandemic has had on the Tribal community.
President Carol Duris then thanked, David, for the impactful work done by the Puyallup Tribe in our county and beyond, she told him that in his honor the Club will be making a donation in his name to the Tacoma Rotary Foundation, who invests in many of the same non-profits that the Puyallup Tribe of Indians support.
President Carol Duris thanked Carol Webster for offering the reflection, and thanked Sharon Chambers Gordon for the beautiful Black National Anthem and to Gil for being our meeting sponsor and providing the time to Greer Todhunter  and finally huge thanks to Chris Serface for facilitating this meeting.
President Carol Duris announced that our speaker next week will be Tom Pierson, Tacoma Pierce County Chamber who will talk about how our businesses in Tacoma are managing through the Pandemic.  Carol encouraged all of us to be People of Action as she rang Scarlett's bicycle bell to end the meeting.  See you next week and happy Rotary Thursday!

A thought for the week

Club Links
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Rotary International - YouTube Video Clips
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The Gearshift is a weekly publication to inform you about current happenings in the Rotary Club of Tacoma #8. We are currently holding virtual meetings.
 
 
Our address is. 
1001 Yakima Ave, Suite 9A
Tacoma, Washington 98405

MAILING ADDRESS:
PO Box 1777
Tacoma, Washington 98401-1777

Phone:  253.473.7723
info@rotary8.org
www.rotary8.org
 
 
Virtual Office Hours 
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Speakers
Jun 18, 2020
Our Scholarship Winners
Jun 25, 2020
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Jun 22, 2020
4:00 PM – 5:30 PM
 
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Fellowship, Leadership and Service Above Self since 1910